AN ON-LINE, HANDS-ON HYDROGEOLOGY FIELD CAMP

Offering a successful hydrogeology centered field camp can be a challenge due to the need to ensure that the field activities are firmly grounded in sound concepts while avoiding the logistical difficulties of meeting in person for classroom lectures. Our camp uses a hybrid approach where course material is presented in an on-line format in conjunction with instructor-led field activities. This approach minimizes the classroom element while maximizing the field experience and increasing meaningful interactions with the instructors.

Every field activity is introduced by an on-line lecture that presents background concepts, describes techniques and calculations, and illustrates field methods. This is followed by an on-line quiz to assess the student’s grasp of the material. The on-line portion is required to be completed before the field activity takes place. All requisite tables, graphs, and directions are downloaded or accessed by the student in the field using smart phones. Students record data in conventional field notebooks and prepare reports that follow a standard professional format of goal, methods, data, analysis, and result. The reports and supporting data are submitted on-line so the course content and assessment are paperless.

We offer four stand-alone modules: Soils, Streams, Wells, and Aquifers. Each module consists of five days of activities. During the five-week-long course the modules are offered simultaneously. Each module is instructed by a graduate student who has attended our field camp. Two faculty supervise and provide expertise across all the Modules. The students are assigned a four person team and each team rotates through their current module with scheduled times for field activities. This approach minimizes the number of required instrument and tools. The six instructors involved in the course allow a low student/faculty ratio, which contributes to student satisfaction. Using this modular approach, we successfully taught 64 students in 2016 and 52 students in 2017.

A fifth module involves field trips to different hydrologic settings including karst, floodplain sediments, and dipping sedimentary rocks.